A field of five fillies will line up
Saturday afternoon in the 19th running of the $65,000 Garland of Roses
Handicap, the first stakes race over the inner track this season at
Aqueduct Racetrack.

C C's Pal, most recently third in
the Grade 2 Go for Wand Handicap November 25, comes back on short rest
in the six-furlong Garland of Roses, which will be run as race 3 on the
nine-race card, with a post time of 1:17 p.m. Trained by Rick Dutrow,
Jr., the 4-year-old Alex's Pal filly is 2-2-1 from eight starts this
year, including a victory in the Lighthouse Stakes at Monmouth Park in
May and the Miss Golden Circle overnight stakes at Belmont Park on
October 23.

Junior Alvarado will ride C C's Pal, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, under high weight of 121 pounds from the rail.

Making
her stakes debut in the Garland of Roses is West Point Thoroughbreds'
Cinco de Mayo Mio, most recently victorious in an optional claimer over a
muddy track at Belmont Park on October 14. The 4-year-old daughter of
El Corredor has made four starts this year, with a pair of seconds to go
along with her win, and will be making her first start at the Big A for
trainer Tom Albertrani.

Cornelio Velasquez, who on
Sunday notched his 3,000th career victory, will ride Cinco de Mayo Mio
from the rail. She is listed at 3-1 on the morning line.

Ms
Vanenzza, another graded-stakes placed filly, bested Cinco de Mayo Mio
in an optional claimer at Belmont on September 23. Trained by Juan
Vasquez, the 4-year-old Successful Appeal miss was third in the Grade 3
Endine at Delaware Park in August and earlier this year was second to
Hilda's Passion in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie and third behind Tar
Heel Mom in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl, both at Gulfstream Park.

Javier Santiago rides Ms Vanenzza, the 2-1 second choice on the morning line, from post position 4.

Isn't
She Grand, a 2 ½-length starter allowance winner at Parx Racing on
November 12, brings an impressive local track record to the Garland of
Roses. The Rudy Rodriguez-trained daughter of Grand Reward won three of
her first four starts of 2011 at the Big A and finished second in the
other, all at six furlongs, to lift her Aqueduct record to 4-2-1 from 10
starts.

David Cohen rides the 4-year-old filly, 5-1 on the morning line, from the outside.

Completing
the field is the lone 3-year-old, the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Afaaf,
unplaced in three starts following a maiden victory at Belmont Park on
May 22. She is 15-1 on the morning line from post position 3 under
Channing Hill.